Dhaka, Dec. 9 -- Bangladesh's interim government has urged political groups, activists and the public to refrain from holding unauthorised protests and street gatherings once the timetable for the national election is announced, warning that illegal assemblies will be met with legal action.

The election schedule is expected within days, with the 13th parliamentary polls planned for the first half of February.

At a Ministry of Home Affairs meeting on Tuesday, held under instructions from Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, officials outlined plans for what they described as the most extensive security operation in the country's electoral history.

Nearly 900,000 personnel from the armed forces and law enforcement agencies will be deployed to m...